Tag:

bass

Sony LinkBuds Open buds next to charging case

Sony LinkBuds Open review: plenty of bass and awesome features, but at quite some cost

by admin September 10, 2025

Why you can trust TechRadar

We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Sony LinkBuds Open: two-minute review

The Sony LinkBuds Open are yet another contender in the trendy and ever-expanding world of open earbuds – but they still stand out from the crowd.

This model succeeds Sony’s first attempt at open earbuds, which launched three years ago now, and combines a slightly unorthodox design with a broad feature-set, tuneable audio, and modern controls. With a price of $199 / £149 / AU$249.95, though, there’s a lot of expectation on Sony’s latest open buds – so, can they hit all of the right notes?

Well, I’ll start by talking about my first impressions out of the box. As soon as I unboxed the Sony LinkBuds Open, I was struck by their unusual yet enticing looks. Unlike a lot of the best open earbuds, these adopt neither the clip-on nor the hooked designs that most of their competitors adopt. Instead, each bud has a ring-shaped driver, which lets ambient sound in easily. The batteries are housed in an orb-shaped casing, and wings are attached to these for a more secure in-ear fit.

I’m a fan of the ring-shaped in-ear components – these fit nicely and let in ambient noises without a hitch. Admittedly though, the spherical exterior looks a bit clunky, and although the wings ensure a pretty secure fit, they felt a little peculiar in my ear, which took comfort levels down a bit for me personally. Overall, these should still feel fine in-ear for a few hours, but there are comfier alternatives out there, like the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC, for instance.

Something I loved was the charging case. The white color variant has a glossy, marble-like appearance and I appreciate the attention to detail here. It’s worth noting that you can also grab these buds in Black or Violet – the latter being a special edition produced in collaboration with singer Olivia Rodrigo.

Another thing that really impresses me about these buds is their feature-set, which is bursting at the seams with user-friendly goodness. There’s multi-point connectivity, 360 Reality Audio support, voice assistant integration, and services such as Spotify Tap – all accessible via Sony’s Sound Connect app.

But there’s more! There’s customizable, and surprisingly effective touch controls, DSEE upscaling for lower-quality music files (still looking at you, Spotify), and depth-filled EQ options. There’s Find Your Equalizer – a gamified way to uncover the best tuning for you – as well as presets and a five-band custom option. Combine that with Scene-based listening, head gesture controls, and a wearing condition check-up, and you’re looking at a highly talented pair of buds.

Still, it’s worth flagging that some competitors offer features that have been omitted here. There’s no active noise cancellation – something you’ll spot on a model like the Edifier LolliClip or Honor Earbuds Open – though you probably want to hear your surroundings clearly if you’re buying open-style earbuds. There’s also no LDAC, Sony’s ‘hi-res’ Bluetooth audio codec, but again, the open design here does limit audio capabilities.

Finally, there aren’t any health monitoring options – think a heart rate or blood oxygen tracker (you’d need to look to the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 for that). But still, you have plenty to play with on the LinkBuds Open, and the companion app is super easy to use.

(Image credit: Future)

Sony LinkBuds Open (White) at Amazon for $119.99

A quick note

When I started testing the Sony LinkBuds Open, I encountered some issues, such as a rattling noise in one bud and connectivity issues. Thankfully, we were swiftly presented with a fresh, fully functional unit, but for transparency’s sake, I wanted to flag such quirks. These issues have not influenced my final scoring of the model.

By now, then, you must be wondering how the LinkBuds Open sound. Well, I have mixed feelings about this model. Firstly, it’s worth pre-empting this by emphasizing that an open design means a likely hit to audio fidelity, and typically weaker bass response than you’d expect from earbuds with a seal or over-ear headphones, for example.

Still, I was relatively impressed with the low-end performance of the LinkBuds Open. I tried listening to AAAAA by Kiefer with EQ set to ‘Off’ (flat), and found that the bass rippling through the track was meatier than what the impressive SoundCore AeroClip could offer with default tuning. Was it the cleanest low-end replication I’ve heard? Well no.

In Stepping Out (feat. $Ha Hef) by Jay Worthy and LNDN DRGS, the funky bassline clashed slightly with vocals, which didn’t have quite enough space to breathe. Meanwhile, the palpable sub-bass is pretty understated in The Boys Are Back In Town by Yung Gravy – though that’s almost to be expected from a pair of open-ears given their technical limitations.

Elsewhere, highs sounded pretty prominent out of the box – but perhaps a little too prominent at times. On occasion, sounds in the treble-frequency edged towards the harsh side of things – though this can be remedied with EQ adjustment in the Sound Connect app.

It’s in tracks more focused around vocal performances, then, where the LinkBuds Open truly shine. For instance, when tuning into Déchire la Toile by Lorien Testard and Alice Duport-Percier, gliding keys and emotive vocals sounded clear and controlled, with a pleasing openness to the sound creating a decently immersive listen. Even at higher volumes, there was a solid level of detail on display, though my colleague did note significant sound leakage – not ideal if you’re in the office or on public transport.

All in all, you won’t get that perfectly balanced, beautifully layered audio – and you might want to tinker with that out-of-the-box sound profile. But for a pair of open earbuds, the LinkBuds Open are certainly solid in the audio department, with generally clear, weighty sound.

A few final notes on this open-ear option from Sony. Firstly, you get a pretty standard serving of playtime. You should get around 8 hours from the buds alone, plus an additional 14 with the charging case. During my testing, I found this to be about right – putting them about on-par with modes like the aforementioned Soundcore AeroClip.

And one more thing: there are optional fittings that you can purchase to customize the LinkBuds Open to your liking. These include multi-colored covers for both the buds themselves and the charging case, if you really wanna jazz things up. This level of customizability is admirable, but you’ll have to spend extra to access it.

In the end, then, can we say that the LinkBuds open hit all of the right notes? Not quite – but they still put on a good show. I’m not totally sold on their design and sonically, they’re not as strong as some wireless buds in the same price-range. But still, commendable mid-range performance, fairly meaty bass given the design and lots of EQ options kept me satisfied overall.

Unfortunately, there’s one area where these buds fall down for me: their cost. They’re very pricey for open ears, which already come with some compromises in terms of audio. So, even though they have a deep feature-set and secure in-ear fit, this model’s not quite a slam dunk. If you’ve got a good amount of cash to splash on some open earbuds, these may well be worth checking out, but otherwise, I’d suggest taking a peek at my other recommendations in the ‘Also consider’ section.

Sony LinkBuds Open review: specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Waterproof rating

“IPX4 equivalent”

Battery life

8 hours (earbuds); 22 hours (with charging case)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 5.3

Weight

5.1g (per bud); 30g (charging case)

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

(Image credit: Future)

Sony LinkBuds Open review: price and release date

$199 / £149 / AU$249.95
Launched in October 2024

The Sony LinkBuds Open – or Sony LinkBuds Open WF-L910 as they’re sometimes listed – released at the end of 2024. They have a list price of $199 / £149 / AU$249, which is by no means cheap for a pair of open-ears, though nowhere near as steep as the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, which launched at $299 / £299 / AU$449.95.

On top of that, I’ve already spotted these on sale in some territories. For instance, they’ve dropped to under £130 / AU$250 on Amazon at the time of writing. You can pick the LinkBuds Open up in a variety of colors, including Black, White, or Violet. The latter is a collaboration with singer Olivia Rodrigo, and includes custom EQ options which were tuned by the artist and her producer.

(Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Sony LinkBuds Open?

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

Wide suite of features and awesome in-app experience.

4.5/5

Sound quality

Generally solid for open ear sound, imperfect yet fairly meaty bass, clear mids.

3.5/5

Design

Not the most elegant looking, just OK comfort, but secure fit and appealing case.

3.5/5

Value

Despite good overall performance, these are expensive against similar quality rivals.

3/5

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Sony LinkBuds Open: also consider

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

Sony LinkBuds Open

Anker Soundcore AeroClip

Huawei FreeArc

Price

$199 / £149 / AU$249.95

$129.99 / £129.99 (about AU$210)

£99.99 (about $130 / AU$210)

Waterproof rating

“IPX4 equivalent”

IPX4

IP57

Battery life

8 hours (earbuds); 22 hours (with charging case)

8 hours (earbuds); 24 hours (with charging case)

7 hours (earbuds); 23 hours (with charging case)

Bluetooth type

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.2

Weight

5.1g (per bud); 30g (charging case)

6g (per bud); 42g (charging case)

8.9g (per bud); 67g (charging case)

Frequency range

20Hz-20kHz

How I tested the Sony LinkBuds Open

(Image credit: Future)

Tested across the course of multiple weeks
Used in the office and while out and about
Predominantly tested using Tidal

I tested the Sony LinkBuds Open over the course of multiple weeks while in the office, at home, and out on walks.

For the most part, I listened to music with the buds via Tidal, though I occasionally dipped into a few tracks on Spotify. During testing, I made sure to run through the TechRadar testing playlist, which features tracks from a range of genres. I also listened to songs from my personal library.

Where appropriate, I compared the LinkBuds Open against rival models, such as the Anker Soundcore AeroClip, which helped me to assess aspects like audio performance and comfort.

First reviewed: September 2025
Read more about how we test

Sony LinkBuds Open: Price Comparison

Source link

September 10, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: excellent analytical sound for vocals and guitars, if not for bass heads

by admin August 30, 2025

Why you can trust TechRadar

We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE: Two-minute review

Here’s a thing very few of the best wired earbuds offer, at least in the mass-produced consumer space: specialized tuning for each member of your band – yes, even the bass player. But that’s what Beyerdynamic did at the very start of the year, releasing not one but four sets of IEMs tuned just slightly differently, in a bid to give each of your musician friends what they need.

The set I have under review here is the DT 72 IE, “for guitarists and singers”. These IEMs boast a “subtly tuned bass” so as not to overwhelm during performance. The optimized frequency response here is also listed as between 200-500 Hz to compensate for the occlusion effect. This is a known issue wherein the perception one’s own voice is too loud, hollow, or even boomy due to the ear canal’s obstruction (with said IEMs, funnily enough) and the trapping of sonic vibrations within.

What of the rest of the range? DT 70 IE is billed as the set “for mixing and critical listening”. DT 71 IE is “for drummers and bassists” with a sound signature that Beyerdynamic says “enhances low frequencies while ensuring detailed reproduction of cymbals, percussion and bass guitar overtones”. DT 73 IE is the pair for the orchestral musician, pianist or keyboard player, with extra care taken on treble overtones (there’s a subtle boost from 5kHz upwards).

I think it’s fair to say that given the asking fee of whichever set you pick (which is $499, or anywhere from £431 to £479 in the UK, so around AU$900) these are IEMs for the successful musician – something emphasized by acclaimed jazz pianist, gospel artist and producer Cory Henry and Gina Miles (winner of The Voice Season 23) who both agreed to help showcase the new products in January of this year.

(Image credit: Future)

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE at Sweetwater Sound for $579.99

Am I qualified to give these singer-specific buds a thorough appraisal? I’d say so. It’s been a while, granted, but I’ve performed in several big musicals, films, and a fair few gigs over the years, often with a trusty pair of cheap and cheerful Shure SE215 in (or hanging out of) my ears. Hey, I sang solo and covered leads, y’know…

The Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE are not like my old Shure workhorses, though, reader. This is what I would have bought myself if I’d been making something other than a lowly performer’s wage, and/or had the promise of work engagements lasting for more than six months at a time. The latter is something not even the best of us regularly gets… and I was far from the best.

But let’s put the delicate topics of coin and talent to one side. The DT 72 IE are very well made. The case is fabric but pocketable and holds its shape – the 1.4m cable will not tangle, is near-silent and comes with a 3.5mm termination and 6.35 mm adapter. The headshells are beautifully small. Your accessories are also resoundingly high-end: alongside the five pairs of silicone ear tips, you also get three in Comply memory foam (which I’ll always go for, if they’re offered). You even get a spare set of earwax guards and detailed instructions on how to switch them out, if and when the need arises.

You’ll need to shape the ear hooks yourself, but once you take a moment to get it right, I found them very comfortable and also hardly noticeable (from a visual perspective) once in my ear. So far, so successful.

What about for sound? I fired up my FiiO M23 and a few of my old audition standards. Now, I had no access to the pro mixer, mic or gain stages I used to enjoy, back in the day – so full disclosure: I couldn’t set any of that up. What follows is my analysis of the DT 72 IE as listening devices to analyze my own recorded vocals and also to record a quick demo – en route to a last-minute audition, say.

And, good grief, did I hear extra detail and even a bit of vib to be proud of in my own rendition of The Show Must Go On from 2018, sung as an aerialist/singer in a German Queen tribute show called We Are the Champions. All true, I promise.

It’s as if guitar riffs and my voice has been plucked from the soundstage and held above the mix in a surgical layering system, like items to be admired (or admonished) aside from all else. It’s exactly what your lead vocalist of axe man needs, to hone their craft and I wish I’d had them when performing every day. If I’d had the DT 72 IE, I might’ve realized I was just a touch flat when trying to reach “for waiting up there is the Heaviside layer” on that cruise ship gig…

Any drawbacks to the DT 72 IE sonically? This is an analytical listen, rather than an exciting one. From a listener’s perspective, things can feel just a little flat on occasion. This is because the bass injection has been pulled back and so, dynamically, tracks can feel just a touch uneventful. Beyerdynamic has expressed as much and offers another model for critical listening and/or mixing, but it’s still worth stating for those who want something to lay down tracks with and to listen purely for the pleasure of doing so.

Personally, I love them. If your favorite aspect of recorded music is the lead singer and/or the guitar solos, you may have found the set of IEMs for you. No, they’re not neutral – that’s the whole point.

(Image credit: Future)

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: Price and release date

Released on January 23, 2025
Priced $499 / from £431 (around AU$900)

It’s important to state that the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE are not unique – IEMs pitched squarely at vocalists exist (from companies such as Moondrop, 64 Audio and even Sennheiser) and the 64 Audio U12t, for example, costs four times as much as the Beyer product you’re reading about.

The Sennheiser IE 100 Pro, however, (a popular choice among the musicians I know) cost around a fifth of the DT 72 IE’s asking fee. So it really is a mixed bag…

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Drivers

Dynamic (closed)

Weight

3g per earpiece (without ear tip)

Frequency range

5Hz – 40kHz

Waterproof rating

None

Other features

No in-line mic, plenty of accessories

(Image credit: Future)

Should you buy the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review?

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

What these earbuds are designed for has been beautifully achieved – no more, no less

5/5

Sound quality

If picking out the vocal or guitar is what you need, they deliver. If you want to listen casually, too, they may not be for you – but that’s hardly fair

4.5/5

Design

Beautifully svelte earpieces and cable, only let down by the need to bend (and re-bend) the ear hooks yourself

4.5/5

Value

To call them ‘mid-range’ feels unfathomable, but the prices you can pay in this niche sector of the market are variable, to say the least

4/5

Buy them if…

Don’t buy them if…

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: Also consider

This particular product is a tad niche for TechRadar (we’re not a dedicated musician or performer site, as you’ll know) but personal experience has taught me that Shure’s 215 SE are often the entry-level option here, as are the Sennheiser IE 100 Pro – both of which are a lot cheaper than the model listed above.

Are they as good? No, that wouldn’t be fair given the dearth in price – and that’s the point I want make here: if you have the money, the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE are very, very good for singers and guitarists.

(Image credit: Future)

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE review: How I tested

Tested across two weeks
Used at home, listening to my vocal recordings and regular testing tracks
Predominantly tested using my iPhone (and hi-res Flac files on my laptop)

I had to go back to 2018 (the last time I sang professionally, and the year before I became a full-time audio journalist) in the name of testing the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE.

I revisited a time when money was tight but professional fulfilment was plentiful. I had work! Lots of it – and I also had a post-grad degree to pay for. I listened to both my own vocals (even the ones recorded quickly as voice memos on my iPhone, to learn a tricksy harmony line in rehearsal) and then to everything from Melissa Etheridge to Ginuwine – both of whom I love for what they’ve given to music.

And know this: the Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE were never uncomfortable and always enlightening during my testing.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed: August 2025

Beyerdynamic DT 72 IE: Price Comparison

Source link

August 30, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

15 years later, Scott Pilgrim EX proves that Toronto’s most problematic bass player has what it takes to become beat-em-up royalty in 2025

by admin August 28, 2025

You know why a bass line is important in a good rock song, right? It’s the whole foundation, the beating heart of the music that underpins everything else the song has to offer. That slick riff that comes in before the chorus wouldn’t land as well without some nice syncopated bass notes to make it soar. The drum fills wouldn’t feel as at home in the transitions without the bass to glue them to the rest of the beat. Even vocal melodies, when orchestrated properly, are elevated by a nice, recognisable and reliable bass line.

Yes, that may be a clunky metaphor, but go with me on this. That’s what the combat is in Scott Pilgrim EX. The original beat-em-up from 2010 – that’s the clumsily-titled Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game – had an absolute solid foundation that, sometimes, was weighed down by everything else. To continue the bass analogy, it was like listening to Primus: one of the best bass players in the world surrounded by musicians that are perfectly fine, but nowhere near the level of Les Claypool.

Manage cookie settings

So, in Scott Pilgrim EX, Tribute Games has set to work correcting that imbalance. Now, it feels like all the other stuff that kept the original game at ‘Battle of the Bands’ level, rather than ‘sold out amphitheatre shows’ level, is being refined. I only played a 30-minute demo at Gamescom, but it’s like listening to the lead single off a band’s comeback album: it sets the scene, gives a sense of what’s to come, paints the sonic landscape for you, and gets you hyped.

The combat – that bass line – is as driven and insistent as ever. It’s smooth, buttery, and compelling. I wanted to keep playing. High praise during a packed Gamescom show where my next appointment was Silent Hill f. To give me a true sense of how it should be played, two devs joined me in my session, and the frantic melee on-screen as we hopped around the beaches (!?) and boardwalks of Toronto remained as itchy as ever.

In fact, it’s better than the first game. The devs and I chatted as we played, and many of the original game’s talent has returned for this one, brining new inspirations with them. Streets of Rage 4 and River City Girls were named-checked. Fights are more fluid, and given I’d never met the people I was playing with before, I was thrilled to see impressive multi-enemy juggle combos connect frequently: playing as one of two new playable characters (Roxie Richter), I juggled enemies right into the hands of Lucas Lee, who would keep them airborne for a brief thrashing until main man himself Scott unleashed a special move to finish them off. Pump it into my veins.

Lucas Lee and Roxie Richter join the fray.

In true side-scroller fashion, the various environs are littered with intractable elements: skateboards to dash in on, volleyballs you could charge and throw to ricochet violently between the fretting goons on-stage, dropped weapons you could wail on vegans with until they broke. It’s all there, and as intuitive and delicious as any of its genre rivals. I actually think I enjoy the fantasy violence on show here more than I have in recent stablemates like Battletoads (2020) or Streets of Rage 4. But that could be because of the killer pixel art or the face-meltingly good music from Anamanaguchi.

I didn’t see enough of the game to know whether it addresses complaints about pacing that hamstrung the first title. Nor did I get enough time with it to see whether the power curve is a bit more generous. But in the slice I did play, sneezing out hadokens and whipping enemies into the air with Roxie’s sword felt powerful. More enemies with less life makes everything feel hyperactive (positive), and when bosses do appear you have to figure out their gimmicks and respond with brains and brawn to succeed. It takes the themes of the source material and applies it mechanically to the game. Delicious.

It’s funny, too. Scott has grown up in the 15 years since the first game, and even some of the more… regrettable… themes in the original material have been massaged here to be a bit more palatable. Scott doesn’t come off as (as much of a) privileged chauvinist in this game. That he can team up with Ramona’s exes, this time, shows personal growth: a willingness to let things slide, and forgo his ego in favour of the greater good. Good work, Scott.

If nothing else, listen to the music.Watch on YouTube

I think, maybe, that’s the driving narrative here: Scott may be trapped in a microcosm of Millennial angst – which is now as nostalgic for Gen Z is as the 80s was for me, terrifyingly – but that doesn’t mean he can’t grow and change. As his character learns to adapt, so to do the developers. This is a beat-em-up as relevant and adapted for 2025 as the original game was to 2010.

The genre has been through something of a renaissance over the past 15 years, and it’s clear that the assembled supergroup of Tribute Games has been keeping a keen eye on what players expect from a modern attempt. The result is something I can’t wait to play more of, a sharp, acerbic action game packed to the gills with pop culture references old and new. But is that a surprise, really, coming from the team that made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge?

“Hey, those green shells look familiar,” I joke as I skid a green turtle-like shell into a demon wailing on Lucas Lee. Even the spinning animation of it looks like something straight out of a 90s Mario game. “Haha, yeah,” jokes one of my dev teammates. “Just don’t tell those guys, yeah?” he winks, nodding over to the Nintendo booth across the Gamescom hall. We laugh. On-screen, a boss finally falls to the hands of a charged bomb blast that wipes out the huddled enemy masses.

Man, I think to myself, I can’t wait to do this at home.

Scott Pilgrim EX is scheduled to be released in early 2026 for PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.

Source link

August 28, 2025 0 comments